Phone Call
by HR always live on
Summary: Set around 10:3. HR. Now completed story.
1. Chapter 1

_I can never seem to get spooks out of my mind at the moment. Random HR rambling, once she has made the decision to work for Towers. Have read no spoilers but watched up to 10:3_

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><p>Ruth was at home. She put down the food for her cat and sighed, looking out of the window. It was six in the evening and she had nowhere to go. She had been working for the Home Secretary for two weeks now, and she has never known loss like it. This is almost worse than when she left the country five years ago. Harry. The one thing, the one person who's always on her mind. She hadn't expected it but it got worse from the moment she left Thames House on that grey Friday afternoon. But it had.<p>

She thought that if she didn't see him everyday, if she could manage to get away from him physically, then the pull he seemed to have over her would vanish. It hadn't. She would never have believed this a month ago but it seemed to have gotten worse. Every moment of the day, she wondered what Harry was doing. What he was thinking? Did he ever think of her? Now that she got home at a decent hour she had even longer to mull over him than she ever had before. Longer than was good for her emotional health, she thought wryly.

Working for the Home Secretary was easy for her. It was simple. No lives were balanced on her shoulders. Not today, and probably never again. And she found that a part of her missed it. Not the death, never the death but the sense of success and accomplishment she felt when she got something right. When they stopped bombs from going off. When people were saved because of her work.

But she could only think of work for so long. And then her mind went back to Harry again. Over the past few days she realised that none of it mattered. She didn't care what Harry had done in the past. She simply didn't care. It paled in comparison to the feeling she was currently experiencing. Loneliness and the fear that she would never see Harry again. Just the fact that over the last few years she had been able to see Harry everyday. That she'd been able to speak to him everyday had been a thing that she looked forward to. And she hadn't even realised it until it had been taken away from her. The fact that it was her own choice made it somewhat worse.

Her thoughts went round in circles for hours until she decided it was feasible to go to bed and try and get some elusive sleep. She frequently found it difficult to drift off these days. Just as she was managing it, her mobile phone rang. Silently cursing she picked it up. "Hello?" she said tiredly. There was no response. She sat up, her spy instincts coming into play. "Hello?" she tried again. She could hear someone breathing down the phone and she knew it was Harry. She couldn't have explained how, but she just knew. She paused while thinking what to say. Wondering why Harry had called and wasn't saying a word. Wondering why now. "Is… Are you in trouble?" she asked in a slow quiet voice.

"I have to see you." Ruth felt her breath catch as Harry's gorgeously familiar voice washed over her.

"Where?"

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><p><em>I was planning to leave this as a one shot but now I'm not sure. What do you think?<em>


	2. Chapter 2

_Wow! Thank you all so much for the great reviews, I am amazed by how much people like this. You've really convinced me to get a move on and write the next installment._

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><p>Ruth stood leaning on a wall overlooking the Thames, waiting for Harry. She had got there early because she needed time to think. Harry had hardly said anything on the phone call but it didn't stop her worrying. She hated to admit to herself how good it was to hear his voice, even in those brief few words.<p>

It was a grey day and the sun was setting slowly as she stood there. She pulled her coat closer to her as the breeze started to make her shiver, still watching the river flow by. "Not thinking of throwing yourself in are you?" Ruth smiled and fought the urge to turn around and face him.

"Not at the moment," she replied as Harry walked next to her. The silence spread out between them but all Ruth could think about was the warmth coming from him.

"How are you?" he asked in a quiet voice. She closed her eyes wondering how she could answer that question. Lonely? Sad? Miserable? Tired? Instead she told a lie as old as time.

"I'm fine." She turned and looked at him for the first time since he arrived. "How are you?" she echoed.

"Probably just about as fine as you are," he replied in a soft voice that made her heart skip a beat.

"Why did you want to see me?" Ruth asked quietly. She heard Harry sigh and her heart dropped. He hadn't called to see her because he wanted to. He needed something from her. "Just tell me."

"The Home Secretary vanishes every Thursday afternoon and he's never where he says he's going to be," Harry said in a falsely calm voice. "I wondered if you knew what he's getting up to."

"I don't work for you anymore Harry," she said looking at the river flowing by, not wanting to look at his face.

"I know," he said forcefully. "Believe me, every time I look up from my desk and see your absence I know." He paused before continuing. "But I'm hoping you'll help me anyway."

"How is my replacement?" Ruth asked quietly.

"Half the analyst you were," Harry replied. "Are," he edited. "Will you help me?"

"I'll try," she said in a low voice. "I'm not promising anything though."

"I believe in you," he said quietly. She turned to face him wondering if there was more to that comment than appeared on the surface. There usually was between the two of them after all. "I have to go," Harry said. Ruth nodded with a small smile.

"So go."

He turned and paused before walking off. "I miss you." He didn't give her a chance to reply before walking around the corner and vanishing from sight. Ruth closed her eyes, thinking hard. It always made her catch her breath when Harry spoke to her in that quiet voice. It always had. But she should have known better. She should have guessed that he called because he wanted to talk about work, rather than the fact he wanted to see her. They both knew that she'd work to help him. She always had. But, Ruth thought as she left the Thames, he had said he missed her. And that meant quite a bit to her after the week of loneliness she'd been suffering through.

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><p>As Harry had approached her, she had smiled. He couldn't remember the last time she had looked that happy. For a brief moment it reminded him off the time, years ago when he had first fallen in love with her. When everything was a lot simpler. He felt his heart soar at the fact that his arrival had made her look like that. Then he wondered whether it was actually that she was a lot happier away from MI5 anyway. Away from him. But he did miss her. It was a constant ache which never seemed to go away. He missed her so much. More than he had previously thought possible. Seeing her again had made him want to tell her that. So as he walked away from her, he told her what was always on his mind. He missed her. Then he left her by the river.<p>

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><p><em>Please review and I'll try to hurry and put the next installment up<em>...


	3. Chapter 3

The next week at work, Ruth debated what to do. Or how to do it. She had noticed that Towers kept vanishing at slightly odd times but she had no idea how to work out where he was going. Added to that her very conflicted feelings about Harry and it was not a very productive week for her.

On Friday night Ruth had arranged to meet Harry at the same spot they had met last week. Unusually this time, Harry was there first. As she approached she couldn't help the thoughts that started running through her mind. Harry on the roof, asking her to dinner. And a few weeks later, Harry kissing her on the dock. Saying goodbye. When her thoughts returned to the present she walked next to him.

"You look tired," she said in greeting.

"Hello to you to," he replied with a smile. "I hardly ever get home these days. I didn't realise quite how much work you got through. I hate your replacement. He's utterly useless." Ruth couldn't help it, she laughed.

"Great, I'm more valued than ever, only when I'm no longer working in Thames House."

"You were always valued by me Ruth," he said quietly. "Always." The pause in the conversation had very heavy overtones of things left unsaid.

"How are things going with the Gavriks?" Ruth asked, breaking the moment spectacularly. She could have kicked herself. Why did she feel the urge to mention them?

"They're back in Russia," Harry said simply. "No more problems from them at all. What about Towers?"

"No news at all," Ruth said quietly. "He doesn't trust me enough yet. I will find out for you though, if time isn't an issue for you."

"You should know by now that I can be a very patient man. When its required," he said. Her hands were resting lightly on the wall and she felt a brief moment of shock when Harry covered one of hers with his own. Shock, but after a second, very enjoyable. To feel the heat of his skin on hers. She turned her hand over so she could hold his properly, neither of them looking at the other. Just enjoying the moment.

Eventually Ruth turned to face him. "Its not the same," she said quietly. He waited for her to continue, to clarify what she meant. "Going in to work everyday without you. I…" she tailed off, not really knowing what she was going to add to that.

Her hair brushed in front of her face and she was about to move it when Harry beat her to it. He gently brushed the strand behind her ear, his fingertips tracing down the curve of her face, down her chin until they reluctantly left her. His eyes were boring into hers and all words, in every conceivable language, vanished from her brain. She knew that he wasn't going to be the one to close the gap between them. She knew that he was waiting for her to move, for her to do this in her own time. He hadn't lied before. He was patient.

Slowly, she moved closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder as his arms wrapped around her. The warmth from his body was wonderful, she thought as her eyes drifted closed. One of his hands rested gently on her waist, the other softly ran through her hair. So softly that she could move away if she wanted to. She didn't want to. She took in a deep breath, smelling his familiar scent and loving being this close to him.

The minutes went by in silence and neither moved. Eventually Ruth looked at his face. He couldn't restrain himself anymore. Not when she had that look of blue eyed honesty and intensity on her face. He tilted her chin upwards as their lips met softly. Her hand rose and cupped his face, feeling the rough stubble under her fingertips. His lips felt so good against hers, she thought as she willingly opened her mouth to him. Why had it taken her so long to kiss him again? Then rational thought vanished as he kept kissing her more intensely.

She reluctantly pulled away from him, but one of her hands stayed resting on his chest. She smiled, she couldn't help it. He brushed her hair behind her ear again, still watching her intensely. She almost felt embarrassed by the way he was looking at her. Reluctantly she moved her hand away from him and she could feel the moment break.

"I'm going to go," Harry said quietly.

"Home or back to Thames House?" Ruth asked shrewdly.

"You already know the answer to that, Ruth," he replied quietly. "See you soon?" the hint of a question almost broke her heart.

"Yes," she said firmly. He smiled and then walked away from her. Ruth watched him leave and shivered as the cold breeze hit her. She would see him again soon, she was sure of it.

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><p><em>Please review! I'm not sure whether to write another chapter or leave it there. What do you think?<em> 


	4. Chapter 4

_Amazed by all the reviews! Thank you all soooooo much! Here's another little update ahead of tonights episode..._

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><p>Ruth was immersed in her work, typing quickly when something distracted her and she glanced up. She felt her heart contract painfully when she saw Harry. Of course, he had a meeting with the Home Secretary. She knew that, but still her breath caught as he walked past her. She should have known that she would occasionally bump into Harry but she hadn't let herself think that far ahead.<p>

Ten minutes later Harry emerged from Towers office and gave her a quick glance. She nodded her head briefly to show she'd got the message. She'd meet him later tonight. That much, she was sure of.

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><p>Harry was looking over the Thames wondering where Ruth was. Wondering if she hadn't realised what he meant when he briefly saw her today. She was twenty minutes late. If he had any pride left with regards to Ruth, he'd give up and go home. But it was far too late for that, he thought bitterly. After thirty minutes he sighed and ran a hand over his face in agitation. Maybe he really should give up on her.<p>

"You weren't worrying were you?" Ruth said standing closely next to him.

"Yes," he said simply, letting his feelings show on his face. "Where were you?"

"I picked up a tail the second I left work," Ruth said. Harry looked at her sharply. "Took me more than an hour to lose him."

"Why would someone be following you?" Harry asked seriously.

"I don't know." Ruth moved her hand to hold his again. It made him feel happy to have her reach for him like that. "Can you look into it for me?"

"Of course I will," he replied instantly. "Are you… do you feel safe?"

"Now that I've lost him, yes," she said firmly. "I am annoyed though. It did make me uncomfortable."

"Hmm," Harry said under his breath. He squeezed her hand tighter, hating the thought that someone might be watching her.

"So why did you want to see me?" Ruth asked, changing the subject.

"Do I have to have a reason?" Harry asked quietly, making her face burn with the intensity of the look he gave her. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

"Oh God, I'd love a Chinese takeaway," Ruth said instantly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. Harry nodded. They walked slowly along the river in a companionable silence, still hand in hand.

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><p>Ruth was leaning back in her kitchen chair with her eyes closed. She felt wonderfully full and happy. "I needed that," she said. Harry watched her, his eyes twinkling at her. "What?" she asked confused.<p>

"Just looking at you." She smiled briefly and then got up to wash the dishes and top up their wine glasses at the same time. Standing in front of the sink she felt a moment of shock as Harry's arms wrapped around her waist. But after that she enjoyed the feel of his body close to hers. She could feel the heat of him, through their layers of clothing. She could feel his hands on her waist, fingers slowly caressing her skin. And then she felt his lips on her neck, making her softly sigh. She moved her head so he could kiss more of her and that's when she saw something out of the kitchen window. She froze, which was difficult when Harry's lips were exploring her skin in a delightfully passionate way.

"Slow down a second," she said in a low voice. She could feel his disappointment radiating out from him. To reassure him she placed her hands on his firmly, keeping them next to her skin she carried on in a whisper. "Harry, there's someone watching us."

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><p><em>I actually have no idea of where the plot (if there is one) is actually going but this scenario wouldn't leave me. Please leave a review :) xxx<em> 


	5. Chapter 5

_This has taken on a life of its own and I apologise for that but hope you enjoy anyway..._

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><p>Harry's hands tightened on her waist for a second while he took in her words. Then they relaxed and he kissed her neck again. He murmured against her skin, "How many?" before giving her another kiss. Ruth tried to concentrate on the watchers but Harry was making her heart race and her breathing heavy. Harry was pleased with her reaction, even in the current situation. He trailed his fingertips over her collarbone before bringing her back to the situation at hand. "Ruth? How many?"<p>

"Er, two I think," she said in a harsh whisper. "In the black land rover three cars down on the right." She drew in a ragged breath. Harry hadn't stopped kissing her once and she was struggling to stay focused.

"Do you recognise the car?" Harry asked as his lips found her jawbone. Ruth forced herself to open her eyes and look down the street.

"No, I don't think so," she replied after a minute. "Oh!" His tongue had just found a spot just behind her left ear that made her shiver with delight. He did it again and she wondered how long her legs would continue to support her.

"Are they still there?" he whispered into her ear, his hands rising slightly from her waist, to feel more of her body. Ruth reached out to hold onto the kitchen counter tightly so she could stay on her feet.

"I have… absolutely… no idea," she replied, her eyes firmly closed. He chuckled lightly and it reverberated through her entire body, close as they were. She felt almost drunk, even though she'd barely had two glasses of wine.

"You should concentrate," he admonished lightly, his fingertips brushing the hem of her blouse away from her skin.

"Oh, believe me I am," she replied sincerely. "Just not on anything outside the house." His hands rose on her bare skin, higher on her ribcage. "Wait, wait," she said quietly. His hands slowed waiting for her to continue. "They're moving. The cars pulling out." Harry looked over her shoulder and felt that something was incredibly wrong.

"Move now," Harry said firmly.

"What?" Ruth said surprised.

"Move!" Ruth felt complete shock when Harry put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her roughly to the floor.

"Ha…" her voice was cut off by gunshots ricocheting around the kitchen, glass from the window peppering the floor. She curled up tightly waiting for the world to stop exploding. It felt like hours before everything stopped but in reality was a few seconds, if that. When silence spread out she lifted her head and looked for Harry. "Oh God," she murmured. Harry was lying on the floor, blood all over his shirt. "Oh Harry."

"Are you… okay?" he said with visible effort.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she reassured him.

"Call… ambulance," he murmured. Ruth hurriedly hunted for her mobile, which amazingly was still in the pocket of her skirt. When one was on the way she turned back to Harry. The blood was awful. It looked like he'd been shot at least twice. She pressed her hands against the wound on his chest to try and make the bleeding stop. Harry groaned quietly and his eyes drifted closed.

"No, no, no," Ruth said quickly. "You have to stay awake. Please stay awake."

"Okay," he said. "I'll try."

"So you push me out of the way but can't duck to the floor yourself?" Ruth asked, speaking just to try and keep him awake.

"Instinct," he said. "Keeping the most important person safe."

"Oh Harry," she said sadly. Ruth was getting tiny slivers of glass in her knees as she leant over Harry but she didn't care. She didn't even feel it. "Trouble seems to follow you around doesn't it?"

"Yes," he said heavily. She could see how much this was costing him. To stay awake. To keep talking.

"Come on," Ruth said to herself, willing the ambulance to hurry up. It had to get here now.

"Ruth, I…"

"No!" she said fiercely cutting him off. "You are not saying goodbye because you are not going to die, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," he replied quietly. "Okay." In the quiet that spread out Ruth could hear sirens approaching. Thank God, she thought to herself.

"It won't be too much longer," she said to him, forcing herself to look at his pale face rather than his dark red blood staining her hands and her kitchen floor. "Just hang on."

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><p><em>Review if you have a spare minute. This is the last of what I've written but I hope to get some more done as soon as I have the time.<em> 


	6. Chapter 6

_Its my day off tomorrow and I plan on having a lay in so I thought I'd post this next installment tonight..._

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><p>Ruth was in the hospital bathroom scrubbing at her hands. She desperately wanted to get Harry's blood off of her, but her nails were still stained red. He was in emergency surgery right now and she was trying not to think about how she'd feel if he died. She gave up and switched the tap off, slamming her hand against the sink in frustration.<p>

Back in the waiting room she called the grid, wondering if anyone would still be there at this time. Surprisingly Dimitri picked up.

"Yes?"

"Dimitri, its Ruth," she said quickly.

"Oh, hi Ruth. Are you okay?"

"I've been better," she said trying to keep control of her emotions. "Listen, Harry was over mine this evening and someone was watching my house. When they drove past they sprayed my kitchen with bullets and Harry was shot. I need you to check out the CCTV on my street and see who did this. And try to find out why."

"Oh my God," Dimitri said. "Is he okay?"

"I have no idea," Ruth said. "He… he's in surgery right now. I still don't know anything except that he had three bullets lodged in his chest. Can you get to work on my house?"

"Yeah, of course," Dimitri replied. "I'll get Callum in here now to get started, he owes me a favour."

"Thank you Dimitri," she said sincerely.

"Call me when you have news on Harry won't you?"

"Yeah, I will. Bye." Ruth put her phone away, glad that at least someone was doing something. She wondered how long this would take. She checked with the nurse at reception again and could tell she was quickly getting infuriated with being asked the same question over and over again. Before Ruth even opened her mouth she got snapped at.

"I have no news about Mr Pearce," she said quickly. "When he is out of surgery, I will tell you as soon as I have the information." Ruth took in a breath to ask something when she was cut off. "And no. I have no idea when he will be out of surgery or how long it will take."

"Some sensitivity wouldn't go a miss," Ruth said sharply, before going back to the waiting room.

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><p>It was four in the morning and Ruth was still waiting for news. She should be sleeping, to get some rest but she did not want to be sleeping when news came about Harry. Whether the news was good or bad. She was the only one sitting in the waiting room when a surgeon approached her.<p>

"How is he?" she asked desperately.

"He's undergone a lot of trauma but he's alive," the doctor said. Ruth felt the relief coursing through her with that simple word. Alive. "We've removed all three bullets, luckily only one was causing serious injury. His right lung was perforated. It was touch and go but we've managed to fix it."

"Good," Ruth said with a sigh.

"He's not breathing on his own though. We're worried about a collapsed lung so he has to breathe with the help of a tube."

Ruth nodded, glad he'd told her that before she saw him. She was slightly prepared now. "I want to see him."

"Follow me," the doctor said. Ruth walked behind him, desperate to see Harry. She needed to see that he was alive. The doctor opened the door and Ruth rushed through to see Harry looking very injured. He was lying in a hospital bed attached to so many machines that she couldn't help the worry that overcame her.

"How long before he wakes up?" Ruth asked sitting next to him.

"A day, maybe two. It depends on him. Everyone has different recovery rates."

"Where were the other two bullets?" Ruth asked, holding Harry's hand lightly.

"Apart from the punctured right lung, one glanced off his ribs on the left but didn't break anything. It would just have been painful. The other hit his collarbone. Its given him a hairline fracture but it was relatively easy to extract."

"Okay," Ruth replied. The doctor didn't leave and eventually Ruth turned to him. "Something else?"

"Well, visiting hours are…"

"I'm not leaving him," Ruth said in a quiet but firm voice. "He's been shot by someone I'm guessing was aiming for me. I am not leaving."

"Okay," the doctor said, sensing this was a battle he wouldn't win. He left the hospital room quickly, leaving them alone. Ruth kept hold of Harry's hand tightly, drawing small circles on the back of his hand. She was not going to leave here. Not until he woke up.

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><p><em>A review would be lovely :)<em>


	7. Chapter 7

_Tiny little scene..._

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><p>All Harry could feel was a fog of pain and agony. Everything hurt and ached terribly. But actually now that he thought about it there was one small area free of pain. His left hand. With an enormous effort he opened his eyes. Things were slightly blurry but he could see enough to realise that he was in a hospital. Also by the amount of pain he was in, he hadn't actually died yet, which was a good thing. Slowly he moved his head to the side and he saw Ruth, her head resting on the bed, her hand gripping his tightly. He could see her face and she was asleep, hair splayed on the sheets. Hair he wanted to run his fingers through but he didn't want to disturb her and after a second his energy vanished anyway. He closed his eyes and slipped back into sleep, pleased that she was okay and happy that she was here.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

_Proper sized chapter this time._

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><p>Ruth woke up with a very sore neck. It had not been the ideal place to sleep but she hadn't wanted to leave him. Now that she thought about it she should be at work. But she couldn't bear to leave Harry for long enough to make a phone call to Towers. With the result that she hadn't called Dimitri either to see how things were going.<p>

"Wake up," she whispered. "Please wake up. I need you to wake up. Please." She looked at his face for at least another hour before anything changed. Then she saw his eyes flicker open. "Oh Harry…" she whispered relieved. "Can you hear me?" He nodded once and raised his hand that Ruth wasn't holding to the tube still helping him to breathe. "No Harry," she said sadly. She moved so her hand was cradling his face. "We can't take the tube out. Your right lung will collapse if we do. We can't."

He gazed at her with those "I'm your boss" eyes but she wouldn't be moved. "No Harry." He looked at her intensely and she got the point. "I'm fine. A few shards of glass in my knees, but otherwise I'm fine. Dimitri and Callum are working on finding out who it was." There was a pause in the conversation, one sided as it was. "Listen, I have some phone calls to make. Are you going to be okay if I leave you for a while?" He nodded once and she got up. Before leaving the room she kissed his cheek gently. "I'm glad you didn't die on me." He watched her go, his heart feeling lighter. His last thought before he closed his eyes was that the scent of her hair was still in the room.

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><p>"Towers," came the harsh reply when Ruth finally got through to him.<p>

"Home Secretary, its Ruth Evershed," she said swiftly. "I'm sorry that I didn't turn up this morning but something important came up."

"Really?" he said with a bite of impatience. "You've only been working for me for a few weeks and already you're not showing up? I thought more of you than that."

"Someone took it upon themselves to try and shoot me last night, and completely destroyed my kitchen in the process," Ruth said bluntly. "I've been in the hospital all night."

"Oh sorry," he said, not really sounding it. "Are you okay?"

"Mostly," she said being deliberately vague, thinking it might buy her some more time. "Harry's really badly injured though." She could almost hear the cogs turning in Towers mind. Harry was with Ruth last night. At her house. Even though she no longer worked for him… She bit back her smile. "I will catch up with my work Home Secretary," she promised and disconnected the call before he could say another word. She called Dimitri straight away.

"Any news?" she asked quickly.

"Yes and no," he said. "We've followed the car through CCTV but the number plates have been copied of another car so we can't find who its registered to. Face recognition is being unhelpful too. Its almost like these people didn't exist before they decided to shoot Harry. How is he?"

"Awake," Ruth said. "They think he'll be okay."

"Good," Dimitri said, sounding relieved.

"Anyway, I don't think they intended to shoot Harry in the first place," Ruth said quietly. "I think they were after me."

"Why?"

"As soon as I left work yesterday I picked up a tail, more stubborn than usual. Couldn't lose him for an hour. They aim at my kitchen and a second before Harry pushed me out of the way, if they'd have shot then, they'd have almost certainly killed me."

Dimitri thought it wise not to ask why Harry had been in her kitchen at that time of night and carried on. "I'll get some CCTV on the tail. Might be useful, if its connected."

"It is connected Dimitri," she said. "I'm sure of it. I'm going to go and check on Harry. Can you keep me up to date?" When he had assured her he would she disconnected the call and went back into the hospital.

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><p><em>Please review. I've written most of this but not in chronnological order so I don't know how long it'll be before I update. Reviews enncourage me to get a move on though :)<em>


	9. Chapter 9

"What are you doing?" Ruth asked the nurse standing over Harry's hospital bed.

"Taking out the tube," she said simply.

"I was told his lung would collapse without it," she said quickly.

"We've got his lab work back and it looks very unlikely. It's a very small possibility now he's awake," the nurse said continuing to do her job. "Anyway he wants it out."

"That man doesn't know what's good for him," Ruth said under her breath. She knew Harry had heard her because his eyes sparkled as they darted to her face. He wasn't too distracted then, if he could still look at her like that. About a minute later the breathing tube was out.

"Take a slow breath," the nurse advised. Harry did as he was told. "Now another one." Harry did as he was told until five minutes later the nurse left the room with a smile.

"Happy now?" Ruth asked, taking his hand again in hers.

"Much better," Harry said in such a hoarse broken voice she wondered if this was the best thing for him medically. Ruth didn't know what to say to him and the silence was becoming uncomfortable. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want their relationship to go backwards, not after how long it took to get here in the first place.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Harry asked quietly.

"Probably," she replied quietly. "This was more important."

"How's your house?"

"I don't know," Ruth said. "I haven't been home since…"

"Oh," Harry replied. "Do you need to go? Sort things out?"

"I don't want to leave you," she murmured. "I've been really worried."

"Sorry about that," he said. "Can you…?"

"Can I what?" Ruth asked bluntly as Harry tailed off.

"Can you come here," he said in a whisper. She smiled and leant closer to him, brushing her lips against his. His lips were rough and cracked, and he tasted of hospitals and doctors but nothing had ever been sweeter to her. It was a soft, wonderful kiss. "You should go," he murmured, his breath whispering across her bottom lip. "I know you have things to do."

"Yes I do," she said. "And you are going to focus on getting better okay, nothing more."

"If you insist," he replied with a small smile. "Go, sort this out. I'm sure Dimitri would want to see you."

"Okay." She leant over him and kissed him again, her fingers trailing over his face lightly. "I will be back before the end of the day."

"Bye Ruth," he said as she left his hospital room. As soon as the door closed behind her he closed his eyes. It was exhausting being shot. But he was glad it was him, rather than Ruth lying in this bed.

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><p>Just before Ruth went into Thames House she could see a small blue car with tinted windows following her. She knew that the occupant was watching her and felt incredible relief when the door closed on her. It took a while for security to clear her, considering that she no longer worked there but eventually she managed to find her way to a bustling grid. Dimitri waved her over immediately. "Do you want the long story or the short one?" he asked.<p>

"Short."

"It's the Russians," Dimitri said quickly. Ruth sat down and let him continue. Three pictures came up on screen. "This was your tail, and these two were in the car that shot Harry." Ruth nodded. "Callum found out who they are and who they're working for. All three of them have been privately hired by a small company owned by Ilya Gavrik."

Ruth sighed. She'd had enough of these bloody Russians. "So why is Gavrik trying to kill me? Or has he been after Harry the whole time and I've just been paranoid?"

"No, I think they want you. They've been following you ever since the shooting," Dimitri said bringing up some CCTV showing different Russians watching her. "I think they've been looking for an opportunity…"

"To finish what they started," Ruth surmised.

"There's something else too," Dimitri said. He stayed silent but passed her a brown A4 envelope. Ruth opened it and saw a small stack of photographs. And then realised what exactly she was seeing. The Home Secretary meeting up with the Russians who had shot Harry. Who had tried to shoot her. Towers shaking hands with them. She turned the photos over, not wanting to look at his face for longer than necessary.

"What are we going to do?" Dimitri said quietly. Ruth closed her eyes because at present, she had no idea.

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><p><em>Please review! I have this written mostly so it shouldn't be too long for an update.<em>


	10. Chapter 10

_ Four days later._

Ruth had a meeting with the Home Secretary. She had hardly been at work over the past few days. What with visiting Harry and getting on the trail of the shooters, she'd managed to avoid Towers. She knew what had been going on now but she needed to have this conversation with Towers. To confront him.

"Miss Evershed, good to see you." She ignored the obvious lie and sat opposite him. "So what can I do for you? What was so important that I was pulled out of my meeting with the PM?"

"I'd like to know why you've been trying to kill me?" Ruth said bluntly, with a lot more confidence than she felt.

"What?" Towers said in shock. "I haven't been trying to kill you, Miss Evershed, I take that accusation very seriously."

"Yes, well I don't exactly enjoy being shot at either," Ruth replied firmly. She was not going to back down.

"I can assure you, that I did not try to kill you."

"What did you agree to?" Ruth asked ignoring his denial. "What was the price for allowing the Russians to kill me?"

She looked at Towers without flinching. He was filled with rage for several seconds until he deflated almost in front of her. "We need this deal with Russia to go through. Ilya Gavrik found out about Elena and Harry's past. His… price for his co-operation in the partnership was revenge on Harry. He thought it fitting that Harry lost the woman he loved. He wanted to make it personal."

"Is that why you offered me a job in the first place?" Ruth asked, trying to ignore the way her heart skipped a beat when Towers said "loved". "To get me away from Harry's protection. So I'd be an easier target?"

"Among other reasons," Towers said, at least having the grace to look embarrassed. "I did know what Ilya was going to try and do, and I'm sorry."

"But not sorry enough to stop him?" Ruth asked trying to control her anger from showing. "The Russians came incredibly close to killing me and Harry had to have emergency surgery. Its just… its luck that he's still alive."

"It was a price worth paying to get their signatures," Towers said clinically.

"So it was worth having me murdered?" Ruth asked.

"Ruth…"

"Answer the question. Their signatures were worth having me killed?"

"In essence yes," Towers replied.

"You are going to call them off," Ruth said firmly. "You are going to make it crystal clear that I am no longer part of any deal. You are going to personally make sure that neither myself nor Harry are on any Russian hit lists. Or I will make sure that your political career is so far in the gutter that you'll be lucky to get on a village council by the time I'm finished with you."

"You can't do that."

"Oh, I think I can," she said. "Otherwise a tape recording of this meeting will find its way to several national newspapers. Confirming that you were willing to have a member of your staff murdered by a foreign power on British soil. You were perfectly happy to turn a blind eye, as long as you got what you wanted."

"You can't do that," Towers repeated immediately, trying to hide his irritation that she'd caught him on tape. "You signed the official secrets act when you first started to work for Harry. You can't release the tape."

"No, you're right, I can't. But everyone will have a really hard time proving it was from me. I've been doing this for a long time. You'll never prove it was me. Never."

For the first time in her memory Towers was speechless. She tried to hide her smile and was successful. It felt very good to have got one over on him. "I don't care how you do it but I would like to live for a long time yet and I would like to avoid Russian bullets."

"You can see yourself out Miss Evershed," Towers said in a detached voice.

"Oh, by the way I quit," Ruth said as she got up.

"I assumed as much," Towers said before shutting his office door behind her. Ruth breathed out heavily. Even though Dimitri had been listening in and Erin had been watching over her she had been incredibly nervous and anxious about that meeting. Towers wasn't always predictable but that had gone better than she'd thought.

"Ruth, are you okay?" Dimitri said in her ear. From his voice she could tell he'd asked her more than once.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. "Has Erin got a car waiting for me?"

"Yes," Dimitri said. "You were brilliant by the way. I'll see you back on the grid?"

"Not today you won't," Ruth said as she was out on the street. "I'm going to see Harry." Dimitri smiled and put his ear piece down, relieved that their arguments with the Russians seemed to be at an end, at least temporarily.

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><p><em>Please review! One more chapter to go and its all happy fluff on the horizon.<em>


	11. Chapter 11

"How did it go?" Harry asked, sitting up in bed as she came in.

"Good," Ruth replied. "I am not going to be killed by Russians, at least not anytime soon."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "This was my fault. It was my history that put you in danger. I'm so sorry."

"I know," she said. She smiled at him for a second. "By the way, I'd like my job back. Now that I'm unemployed."

"I think I can stretch to that," Harry said "I wish I could have given him a piece of my mind rather than being stuck here," Harry said in a slightly menacing voice.

"Don't worry," Ruth said lightly. "I took care of it. He was slightly speechless by the end of it actually."

"Oh, I'd have liked to have seen that," Harry said with smile.

"Dimitri's got the tape if you really want to hear it," Ruth said trying to hide her blush.

"I will," he promised. "Oh, and I'm being discharged tonight. Can you take me home?"

"Well you took three bullets for me, which, while being incredibly dangerous and stupid was also slightly romantic," Ruth said lightly with a smile. "I think I can manage taking you home."

"Good," he said. "I'm dying to get out of here."

"Don't use that word," Ruth said firmly. "Dying. Its too close to the truth. Its… just don't."

"Okay," he said firmly, covering her hand with his own. "Sorry, I didn't think."

"So when are you leaving?" Ruth asked in the silence.

"Now," a doctor said coming into the room. "If you want to go home that is," he said.

"Yes," Harry and Ruth said at exactly the same moment. They looked at each other and smiled. The doctor handed Harry the discharge forms and Harry reluctantly let go of her hand to sign the papers. The moment between them was broken but she kept seeing his eyes twinkling towards her in a way that made her heart skip a beat.

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><p>Ruth opened his front door and reset the alarm before Harry could even blink. "How on earth did you get the number?" Harry asked amazed.<p>

"Yeah, I'm not answering that one," Ruth said with a small smile, pushing the lock on the door down. She walked through to the kitchen and Harry watched her in silence. She looked so at home here that he lost himself in dreams of her living with him for a moment. "You don't mind do you?" she asked, her hand pausing by the kettle as she caught him watching her.

"No," he said with a slightly sad smile. "I don't mind."

"You want one?"

"Tea, one sugar," he said nodding. He moved through to the living room, absolutely loving that she was taking care of him like this. The chest wound was still throbbing painfully, even with the painkillers he was on, but he wouldn't tell her that. She was worried enough. Ruth came back in with the tea and handed him his silently.

"Will you…" Harry tailed off, too scared to carry on.

"Go on," she urged.

"Will you stay here tonight? I don't want to be alone and there's no one else I would rather be with me."

"Yes." Ruth agreed quickly. "I'm glad you want me here." Ruth leant back on the sofa and shut her eyes.

"When's the last time you slept?" he asked her. She shrugged without opening her eyes.

"I never sleep the whole night through anyway," she said honestly.

"Go up to bed," he said firmly. Then realised how that sounded. "Oh God Ruth, I didn't mean anything by that, I meant in the spare room," he said quickly. "I didn't mean…"

"Harry, stop babbling," she said quickly, her hand covering his. "I know what you meant. I just… I wondered…. Forget it," she said blushing.

"No go on," he said smiling. And intensely curious about what she was suggesting.

"I was going to say that I wondered if you wanted me to stay with you tonight... Just to have someone there… Its stupid. Forget it."

"If you're sure," Harry said quickly. "I'd hate for you to think I was taking advantage of you." That sentence coupled with Harry's evil smile had created some rather vivid images in her mind which she tried to push aside with great difficulty.

"Well with three bullet wounds from just a few days ago, I'm not too worried," she said trying to hide her racing heart. "Have you got something I can sleep in?"

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><p>They had made it up to Harry's bedroom with several blushes and Ruth was helping him get out of his shirt. He was too stiff and in too much pain to do it properly himself. He let out a pained sigh as her hand accidentally brushed against the bullet wound that had glanced off his ribs. "Sorry," she said sincerely. "I don't mean to hurt you."<p>

"Its fine," he said. His hand touched her face lightly, fingers trailing to her collarbone and she felt a shiver deep inside her. She closed her eyes, trying not to react and felt his touch vanish. "Sorry," he said. "I won't touch you if you don't want me to."

"Believe me that is not the problem," she said heavily.

"Then what is?" he asked, delighting in seeing her face blush.

"When you touch me all I want to do is wrap my arms around you," she said. "But you've been shot and I really don't want to hurt you."

"I could live with a bit of pain," he said, pushing his luck slightly. Ruth smiled briefly.

"Maybe, but I'm not going to be the one to inflict it." Ruth picked up an old shirt of Harry's that he had given her to sleep in and she went through to the bathroom while he watched her go. He could tell she was finding this awkward but he loved her for trying to help him and he loved her for not running, no matter how uncomfortable she was. He suddenly felt exhausted and collapsed into bed, grunting as his chest wound throbbed again. He was so tired he'd almost drifted off to sleep by the time Ruth came back into the bedroom. But the sight of her in one of his old shirts instantly had his attention and sleep suddenly felt a million miles away. She smiled, noting his reaction and slid under the duvet on the other side of the bed.

He carefully rolled closer to her and stroked her hair. She was so reserved with him, even more than usual and he knew it was because he was injured. He tilted her chin up and kissed her. A light, chaste kiss which was very enjoyable. "Goodnight Harry," she whispered when they broke apart.

"Goodnight Ruth," he replied heavily, watching her eyes close almost instantly. She was clearly incredibly tired. He watched her for countless minutes until his own eyes started to drift shut.

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><p>Harry woke up from the rain battering against the bedroom window and it took a moment to remember the events of the night before. He looked at Ruth and saw her look completely relaxed in sleep. And so beautiful. Her hand was resting on his chest, directly over his heart and one of his was resting on her hip. It was so nice to wake up with her that he barely even felt his gunshot wounds. He also realised happily that their legs were tangled and entwined together. It was wonderful. After a minute or two his eyes had had their fill and his fingertips begged to feel her curves.<p>

The hand on her hip slowly rose to caress her waist. It wasn't enough to wake her. He shifted so he could kiss her lips softly. He kept increasing the pressure until he felt her jerk awake. Then she reacted to his touch, kissing more deeply and wrapping her arms around him to pull him closer. She still had her eyes closed but sighed happily as his hand rose to feel the curve of her left breast. As he continued to touch her she lay halfway between waking and sleeping, and he knew she was still unaware as to whether this was actually reality or just a dream.

Harry kissed the corner of her lips as his hands undid the buttons of the shirt she was wearing, ever so slowly. As every button revealed new flesh he made sure he kissed it tenderly and with so much love. He knew she wasn't fully awake but he was still going to enjoy every second. He had wanted to hold her and touch her like this for so long. Eventually the shirt was completely undone and he brushed it away from her body, the material just hanging off her arms. His eyes drunk in her figure, wanting to remember this forever as his fingers traced the shape of her body so softly. She moaned quietly and shuffled closer to him.

He pulled her in for a deep kiss, pressing her naked chest against his own, ignoring his wounds. This pleasure was definitely worth the pain, a hundred times over. As the kiss continued he could feel her waking fully and she pulled away from him but only marginally.

"What are you doing?" she whispered against his lips, her eyes finally opening.

"I thought it was obvious," he said in a low voice. He kissed her again and she encouraged him eagerly, her fingertips exploring his skin the way he'd had the pleasure of doing to hers just minutes ago. She found the rough skin of a scar, years old and drew back, remembering his injuries.

"We shouldn't," she said, her meaning clear. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Let me love you," he whispered. "Don't worry about me, only say no if you don't want to."

"Of course I want to, Harry," she started. "I've wanted to for years." So he kissed her firmly and happily. She had given him permission and he continued to touch her and tease her, delighting in her small moans and sighs. He made love to her for the very first time on that grey rainy morning, where every touch was magnified. Every kiss was electric. Neither could have imagined it being more perfect than it was.

When she came back to herself she worried slightly about him. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

"Sh, don't worry," he told her. "You don't hurt me, you heal me," he replied quickly, kissing the tip of her nose before she collapsed into a realm of sleep and happy dreams. He looked at her for a few more seconds before joining her. He didn't even feel the pain anymore. Emotional or physical. His heart was overflowing with love for this amazing woman, who, after years of waiting, had somehow, incredibly become his.

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><p>The End<p>

_I'd love it if you left a final review. They make my day and I hope the fluff brightened yours!_


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